En Espanol

How many times must we see kids’ eyes glaze over during another dry and boring lecture on what they should eat, the food pyramid, and lots of big words that really don’t have much meaning to kids? Carbohydrates, proteins, antioxidants…I mean, come on!

Instead, we focus on hands-on experiences where the children are given the opportunity to taste, smell, stir, sift, toss and get messy! In this age of convenience food and busy families, children are not learning to cook. It’s no wonder that our children not only lack the knowledge of where food comes from or how it’s grown, but what in the world do we do with it?

Hands-on means that children don’t just talk about food, they get to prepare it and then eat it. We, of course, provide recipes for seasonal foods that can be obtained locally. You don’t see us making a strawberry dish in February, whether it’s Valentine’s Day or not. We want to teach children about the seasons and how to savor what is growing right now. It’s also an economics lesson – using our food dollars for local food keeps that money in our local communities.

We also want to dispel the myth that children won’t eat healthy food. Children are no different from adults in that they appreciate food that is well prepared and is presented in a pleasant manner. More to the truth, it’s adults that have acquired the taste for lots of fat, salt and sugar and who don’t know how to cook. Children, if given a chance to have some type of relationship to food - either from growing it themselves, visiting the place and meeting the farmer who grew it, or having a hand in its preparation - are most willing to not only try the food but enjoy it and ask for more. And when you are working with fresh, whole foods, that’s your nutrition education!

Check out our nutrition education page for more information about cooking with kids, and our page of recipes en Espanol.

an asterisk (*) denotes an off site link

August - Tomatoes

Indian Style Okra with Tomatoes

*Baked Parmesan Tomatoes

*Raw Tomato Sauce

*Bruschetta with Tomato and Basil

September - Cucumbers

Cucumber Soup

*Cucumber Salad

*Cucumber Mint Raita

*Quick Pickles

October - Cabbage

Cabbage Soup - FromThe Giant Cabbage – An Alaskan Folktale by Cherie B. Stihler

Vegetable Soup - From Growing Vegetable Soup, written and illustrated by Lois Ehlert.

*Cabbage Salad Roll Ups

Apple Coleslaw

November - Potatoes

Mashed Potatoes and Me - From the book Two Old Potatoes and Me, written and illustrated by John Coy.

Vegetable Soup

*Baked Potato Skins

*Irish Potato Griddle Cakes (Boxty)

*Broccoli Potato Bake

Ma Farmer's Sweet Potato Pie - From the book, The Gigantic Sweet Potato, by  Dianne de Las Casas

December through March - Apples

Appalachian Apple Chips

Apple Squash Bake

Apple Coleslaw

*Apple Muffins

April - Spinach / Lettuce / Greens

Salad Dressings

*Chard Sesame Salad

*Plant Part Salad

Asian Spinach Salad

*Quick Spinach Bread

*Spinach "Brownies"

May - Strawberries

Berry Good Summer Smoothie

*Easy Strawberry Jam

*Strawberry Brownies

*Strawberry Soup

*Strawberry Salsa

*Supreme Strawberry Topping

Allergy Friendly Strawberry Muffins

June - Summer Squash

*Oven Fried Zucchini Sticks

*Summer Squash and Corn soup

*Chocolate Zucchini Bread

*Parmesan Squash Cakes

July - Berries

Berry Good Summer Smoothie

Other

Grilled Eggplant Sandwich

Herbed Baby Eggplant

Mexican Cauliflower Soup

Pesto

Tomatillo Salsa – Salsa Verde

*Bean Wraps

*Carrot Jimaca Salad

*Fruit Kebabs

*Healthy Foods Healthy Families Recipe Booklet (English and Spanish)